


Lifeboat

by shuyiin



Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 06:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6460321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuyiin/pseuds/shuyiin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It might've taken twelve years, but finally, he's ready to admit it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lifeboat

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the prompt, 'ten times my muse says he doesn't love yours, and one time he admits it'. My muse being Tidus, and the other Auron. I didn't follow it to the tee, because, well... I don't think they're the type to say those exact words to one another. But it's close enough, lolol.

**“** who’s that– your Uncle? **”** his friend stares at the red-clad man from afar, too afraid to approach the standoffish newcomer. he’s been coming over for years, but Auron’s face is a new one. Tidus _loudly_ exclaims his protest.  **“** no way! he’s not family at all– just some jerk my old man knew! I barely know him, and I don’t want to!  **”** he chucks his blitzball at the back of the man’s head, but– without even turning to look– Auron dodges. ( he has to admit, that move was _pretty_ cool… )  
  
❤  
  
**“** I’m sorry, kid, but you have to get your dad’s permission to buy that. is that him over there? **”** he’s been staring at the same comic the entire time Auron paced the store for groceries, but this clerk behind the counter was still stingy. Tidus turned to Auron with a frown etched into his face, shaking his head adamantly.  **“** no! and he never lets me buy anything, ‘cause he’s a cheap old man! **”** Auron drops a gil note onto the counter with a quiet hum of warning (or amusement), at Tidus’ insult. surprised by the act of generosity, the boy gasps, and looked to Auron with a huge grin spreading over his face, revealing a few fallen teeth.  **“** really–?! you’re the _best_ , Auron! **”** he takes off running with his new prize, eager to show it off… but before the evening is over, things are back to their usual routine. ( Auron snarks and Tidus snaps. )  
  
❤ ❤  
  
he’s munching on some weird cookie, biscuit ( - _thing )_ that Auron made. the old insomniac had woken up in the middle of the night and practically slept-walked into the kitchen, except he was completely awake. ( seriously, did Auron ever sleep? he'd always wanted to pull a prank on him while he was passed out, but the guy made it _impossible_. ) Tidus didn’t understand at first, but he finally figured it out: Auron was homesick. he wanted something that reminded him of his  _home_. Tidus tried his best to help out in the kitchen, but he probably only made things worse. still, Auron tolerated his presence, and had even told him a little bit about his childhood, and the place he was from. he explained that this was a recipe of his mother’s. that night, for the first time, they talked for hours, even if Tidus did most of the talking. Tidus felt… _closer_ to him, like he was actually a  _human,_ with  _feelings…_ which was a far cry from how he usually saw him.  
  
but _man_ , that guy could not cook **at all**. **“** ugh– these are _**gross**_!  **”** he threw the rest of the cookie-thing into the ocean and watched it disintegrate into little pieces, like cereal bits dissolving in milk. Auron looked at his own, snorted, and then followed suit, silently disappointed by his own attempt to recreate the past. he ushered Tidus to bed so he wouldn’t sleep in-- not again. a tantrum from the boy ensued, insistence that he shouldn’t have to go to school tomorrow, since it was  _auron_ who kept him up all night. ( chaos erupted in the household once again, the fleeting moment of peace and understanding long gone. )  
  
**❤ ❤ ❤  
**   
**“** you could have helped! you could’ve done something! why’d you just _stand_ there? **”** Tidus sneered, giving a hiss of pain as the man applied alcohol to his wound. he wasn’t one to get in fights (not usually), but he’d gotten into a bad one today. some kid just wouldn’t _**shut up**_ about his dad– specifically, how Tidus was ‘copying’ him. as if he wanted to be _anything_ like Jecht. what– two people from the same family couldn’t play blitzball now? it was a  **stupid** thing to say, and Tidus told the guy as much– perhaps a little too enthusiastically. that guy told his friends, who told their friends, and next thing he knew, he was talking to the concrete instead. worst of all, it had been at his own house, Auron standing just a few feet away.  **“** it was your fight. if I had gotten involved it, it wouldn’t have helped,  **”** he said simply. no sympathy or support. no apology. despite the pain searing in his body, Tidus jerked up, and stomped down to his room, slamming the door. the next morning, the bully didn’t show up to school. or the morning after that. a week later, he found out he’d transferred to another district. something about ‘being scared shitless by a crazy guy with a giant sword’, according to the rumors around campus. smiling to himself, Tidus shrugged. **“** whoever this guy is **,**  he sounds pretty cool to me!  **”** ( he never said a word to Auron, and Auron never said a word to him. )  
  
**❤ ❤ ❤ **❤**  
**   
he stood over the edge of Zanarkand, overlooking the ruins, squinting down at the tattered buildings. was his houseboat in there– or something like it? the place where he’d last seen Jecht… where his mother had died… where Auron had _raised_ him. it was strange, being back in Spira, but without Auron’s guiding hand. though he had felt so independent, so decisive at the time… he now realized that so many of his choices, his ideas, his entire  _self_ … it was the direct result of Auron’s influence. he’d learned a lot from that old grump, and he never even had the chance to tell him so. but it was Auron, and Auron knew _everything_. surely, he was smugly grunting from the Farplane right now. the thought made Tidus smile, a little. **“** I hope you’re finally happy now. and… I hope you were happy _back then_ , because… well, you made **me** happy. so… thanks, Auron. **”**   he placed Masamune hilt-up in the dirt, like it had been the night they gathered around the campfire. he didn’t know where Auron’s home was– his real home– but to Tidus, it would always be here, in Zanarkand, in that little houseboat where they had grown up, together.


End file.
